MONDO EXTRAS

Bones apologizes and tells Parmen his request is impossible. "Your duties will be extraordinarily light," Parmen goes on, ignoring Bones. "You'll be free to read, meditate, to conduct research -- whatever you like, you'll want for nothing." Bones says, "The answer is no." Parmen tells him they'd like to keep things pleasant, but they have their hearts set on making him stay. Kirk steps forward and points out, "Dr. McCoy saved your life." Parmen tells Kirk he's starting to lose patience. "And you consider yourself a disciple of Plato?" Kirk thunders. Parmen says snottily, "We manage to live in peace and harmony." Spock, his harp held near his face at just the right angle to make an attractive shot, mildly asks, "Whose harmony? [Well, see, Harmony's this twit of a vampire on Buffy who also appeared on Angel and -- oh, it's not about that Harmony. Okay.] Yours? Plato wanted truth and beauty, and above all, justice." Parmen condescends that they've had to adapt Plato's teachings to fit their purposes, but they've constructed the most democratic society conceivable. Shot of Alexander, just in case any of us turned into Bermaga and have amnesia about things that happened five minutes ago, thereby forgetting how very un-democratic the Platonians are. "Anyone can, at any moment, be or do anything he wishes, even to becoming ruler of Platonius, if his mind is strong enough!" Parmen says. The Kironide can have a strong influence on a weak mind. "And if his mind isn't strong enough, he gets torn apart like Alexander," Kirk states angrily. Or he becomes captain of the Enterprise in a prequel series. Philana looks fiendishly pleased as Parmen says, "Oh, come now, we are not children. In your culture, justice is the will of the stronger, it is forced upon people by means of weapons and fleet of spaceships. Our justice is the will of the stronger mind and I, for one, consider it a vast improvement." Kirk tells Parmen that they don't use their weapons to enforce the sort of brutality Parmen and his ilk do. No, they're really only good for corporate retreat talent shows. "Farewell, Captain," Parmen says in bored tones.